


Worth

by EssayOfThoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Ableism, Joanna Lives AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 13:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5006188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EssayOfThoughts/pseuds/EssayOfThoughts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joanna has always been able to see the worth in things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tywinning](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tywinning/gifts).



Joanna has always been able to see worth in things. She notes which servants observe and which ones talk. She learns which cousins and bannermen are loyal, and which mutter and murmur in the back of the hall. She watches the golden sunrise, shimmering over the sea, and sees how it reflects past mirror after mirror after polished mirror, into the depths of Casterly Rock.

Joanna has always been able to see worth in things. She has maintained her friendship with Loreza, for all the great distance of it, and still writes a few letters to the Queen’s ladies. Rhaella may no longer call her friend or lady, after what Aerys attempted, but Joanna still has friends at court, not least of which her husband, and knows the worth of fresh information.

Joanna has always been able to see worth in things, and that is why she chose Tywin. When she was a child the lions were toothless, balding, loosing golden fur, strong teeth, sharp claws. Gold frittered away on presents for mistresses, and to bannermen who wouldn’t pay it back. Strength allowed to waste away. Weapons allowed to blunt.

It was Tywin who rode forth, golden, strong and sharp, and brought down the Reynes and the Tarbecks. It was Tywin, roaring a battlecry at the golden sun, who reaffirmed House Lannister’s strength, and House Lannister’s power. It was Tywin, Tywin, Tywin, who restored their House, remade their House, and made the lions great again.

Joanna has always been able to see worth in things, and in her golden twins she sees alliances to the Martells, to still-muttering bannermen, to Court and to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. They are golden and lovely, with Lannister intelligence and perfect forms, as the Seven meant people to be. In them lie a myriad opportunities, and even when Tywin is far away she knows that the futures of Jaime and Cersei are essential.

Joanna has always been able to see worth in things, and so it is she who notices the worth of the monster she bore. Tyrion is not a perfect Lannister child. Not in form, not in beauty, he is not even golden but pale, like silver-adulterated gold. Like poor electrum.

But she notices the sharpness in his gaze, which makes up for his lack of claws. She notices the strength in his spine, which makes up for his strength in body. She notices the gold he can save the House, which might, might, begin to make up for the gold he lacks and the gold he could have taken from the House.

Joanna teaches Tyrion how to do the accounts, and tries to bear her shame, bear the seeping wound of her pride, as a Lioness should.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [SecondStarOnTheLeft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondStarOnTheLeft)'s fic, [The echo of the sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5001271), and written as a (late) gift for [Tywinning](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tywinning/)'s birthday. Loreza is the name given to the Unnamed Princess of Dorne in SecondStarOnTheLeft's fic.


End file.
